On The Side
by TheFanAnime
Summary: Katsuki hated the cold. He hated it with a passion. It always seemed to make him remember when it all began. When she first fell down... Fem!Izuku x Katsuki
1. Chapter 1 - Sickness

It was a cold day, the breeze frigid and stabbing into peoples' skin. Katsuki hated it. He hated how the cold seemed to slow the day down to a crawl, how it preyed upon those that were sickly and weak.

His mother had come down with a cold once, and he _hated _seeing her act so weak.

That morning he woke up as usual, angrily preparing himself for elementary school, offhandedly thinking about the chills up his spine. It confused him, how he had this intense feeling that something bad was going to happen, but he ignored it.

Walking down the stairs caused frigid air to clash against him, and he shuddered for a moment before throwing his scarf snugly around his neck. He watched as his dad drank his coffee, reading the morning paper and clearly having a good start to the day.

Katsuki wasn't. Having a good start, that is. He kept these complaints to himself, internalizing the feeling of frostbite creeping onto his body.

"Morning dad." He stated simply, walking to the couch and sitting besides him. Only now he noticed the plate of fresh food on the table, waiting for him, tempting him, but he waited. He'd been scolded more than once for taking food that wasn't his.

"Morning Katsuki. Your mother's still feeling a little ill, so I made your breakfast today... sorry if it isn't anything amazing." He rubs his neck sheepishly as Katsuki begins to scarf down the food, almost finishing his plate instantaneously. "I'll drive you to school. I've taken the day off since it doesn't seem like she's been taking medicine - the stubborn fool!" He adds merrily, laughing to himself while Katsuki could only nod to the 'stubborn' part.

A little later and he was on his way to school, staring outside the window of the front seat and watching things go past. He squinted as he tried to willfully slow down the speed at which things disappearing, but no matter how hard he tried, it didn't work.

He didn't give up for the rest of the trip, determined to continue trying.

Arriving at the school was always a hassle for him. He thought it was always a pain - having to deal with all of the people milling about (extra's, he referred to them as), constantly vying for his attention. Not like he'd even give them the time of day. The nickname for them was quite accurate, in his very humble opinion.

A few minutes later he walked in to his class, scowling fiercely as he eyed the current occupants of the room. His inbuilt anger only deepened as he noticed Izuku (Deku, he cursed) in the corner, scribbling away at a small notebook titled "Hero Analysis #5".

She'd repeatedly showed him the progress of her notes, and as much as he found her collection cool, she never put it to use, so what good was it. In his mind, his distaste for the girl was entirely justified, and a cemented idea within him that she was useless.

The only compliment he'd give her is that at least she's better than these ridiculous extra's, quirkless or not. He'd never admit that, though. The mere idea of someone thinking they're better than him darkened his mood further, so before he could get any worse he sat down next to Izuku.

She looked like a caterpillar, wrapped up in all of those scarfs.

"M-Morning Kacchan!" She squealed. Her voice seemed to tick him off, and he could never figure out why (probably because she's useless, because nothing she says can be important, right?). These words were a common occurrence, but something seemed off today, and Katsuki couldn't put his finger on it.

"Deku." He acknowledged, turning his eyes towards her as he examined her for a moment. Her eyes appeared to sink into her skin, pulsing outwards into her unnaturally pale complexion.

Something was _really _wrong with her, but he didn't know what.

The day continued to move normally, a mix of common and uncommon events unfurling throughout the day. Katsuki relished any chance he could get to show off his quirk, one fit for a king as he would say. Lunch time just so happened to be the best time to do this.

"Hah! I'm the best, none of you can get anywhere close to me!" He exclaimed, popping small explosions off as everyone fell on there rears, panting out heavy breathes as they stopped running.

The only one who kept chasing after him was the useless Deku (admittedly he was impressed, but he'd never admit that). He didn't realise it at the time, but he was having fun.

_If only he had cherished those moments..._

They were both laughing, and despite his anger towards the useless girl, his day had gotten marginally better from the physical effort of running. As he ran, however, a soft thud echoed behind him. He turned around, confused, the laughing had stopped - something was wrong.

As he turned, he was reminded of the car trip - how everything seemed to go by quickly, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't slow it down.

She'd fallen. He froze for a moment, _she just fell down so fast!_ Katsuki couldn't react, too surprised. He waited, and waited, until he couldn't wait anymore and fear and confusion overran his thoughts, calling out her name for the first time in a long time as he ran to her side.

"I-Izuku! Someone, go get a teacher!" He shouted to the other's, watching as they ran off. He slid beside Izuku, rolling her over from her face-plant into the freezing ground. Her whole body felt like ice, and it stung his hands to hold onto her - her whole body began to turn a purple-ish blue, and her breathing slowed to a crawl, near non-existent.

Now he understood the chills down his spine.

Time flew by. A teacher came. The hospital was called. He, his parents, and Inko went to the hospital with Izuku. Katsuki hadn't cried in a while, and he _never_ wanted to cry in the first place. But this time, it felt like he had to.

"Izuku Midoriya has come down with a rare, incurable disease. I'm... sorry, Mrs Midoriya. We cannot cure her currently, however we can sustain her and keep her up to an... acceptable level of health." The doctor didn't mention the cost, but we all knew it would be high, too high for Inko.

Katsuki hated the cold. Even though it wasn't the cause of what happened, he still hated it.

It was just a reminder of the day it all began, and the beginning of his frequent hospital visits.

* * *

AN: I hope you liked this little story idea I wanted to make (not too sure if anyone's done it, if so, well, oof). I'm honestly not sure if I'll continue it, but I think I'll definitely add at least one or two chapters.

Anyways, thanks for reading :)


	2. Chapter 2 - Visit

"Ah... Kacchan..." Izuku smiled, watching as Katsuki walked through the door. Her voice drawled out as she attempted to lift herself up, a happy smile took over her - she couldn't help but hate the hospital. Every single day she'd stare at the white ceiling, or talk to a doctor, or talk to her mom. It was the same thing, over and over.

It felt so _constricting_.

She enjoyed when Katsuki came over, because his brash attitude brought a welcome change to the stale atmosphere in the room. It didn't help that she couldn't leave her bed either, but at least she got to keep one of her All Might action figures (she'd wanted them all, but the doctors wouldn't allow her).

"Shut up. You're not gonna get any better if you push yourself." His scowl deepened, and he slammed down onto the chair besides her bed, arms crossed. "You tried getting up yesterday. What the fuck were you thinking!?" He asked, the bottled up frustration leading out onto her. She continued to smile in spite of him berating her - she knew that he cared for her.

After all, why else would he come so frequently to visit a useless deku like her?

"Mm, sorry... I was just _so _bored after... you left." She said, taking breaths in-between words, like it was a taxing effort for her to even speak. Her eyes sparkled for a moment as she noticed something within his hands (how she hadn't noticed when he walked in, she didn't know). "You didn't... have to..." She watched as he slammed a small All Might plush onto the bedside desk.

"Dumbass, who cares if I didn't have to! I already asked the staff, they said you can keep one, _one_, of these, so don't go asking for more." He bit, turning his head away as he ignored her look of admiration. He hated the way she looked at him - like he was, he was...

Some kind of _hero_...! But a hero could've done something, so he didn't deserve that title, even though she'd tell him all the time about how she'd thought he would be a great hero.

He couldn't. Remembering how she'd always look at him with admiring eyes - it pissed him off, not at her (never at her, not anymore), but at himself.

Her eyes closed for a minute as she smiled peacefully. "I... know. I just... don't want to be... a bother..." She droned, fingers idly playing with the plush as she stared at Katsuki. He raised an eyebrow as he turned back towards her.

"What? Do I got something on my face, nerd?" He asked, eyes piercing into her own. She couldn't help but stare, the bright, vivid red was a beautiful contrast to the dull whites surrounding her.

"A-Ah... no, sorry." Embarrassed, she clutched the plush into her stomach and watched as he pulled out a notebook labeled 'Hero Analysis #9'. He reached over and placed it on her lap, simultaneously grabbing the bed controls and making it so she would be sitting up.

"I finished your damn notebook again, it's a fucking waste of money. I don't get how you did this all the time." He stated, leaning back into his chair and stretching, letting out a deep yawn. Her smile only continued to widen ever since he'd arrived, and he didn't understand how.

And she called _him _strong.

Time passed by quietly as she read through the notebook, eventually dozing off into sleep. Katsuki put the bed back to its original position and waited. He sat there for a long time, watching Izuku rest on the bed - she looked almost lifeless except for the odd twitch she made. He hadn't noticed before, but her hair had gotten longer. It was short once, all sat flat atop her head, and now it grew down, almost all the way to her waist.

'She should probably cut it.' He thought to himself, too focused on Izuku to fully notice the other arrival in the room.

"Good afternoon, Katsuki." He turned as he heard the quiet, tired voice, coming face to face with Inko. She'd slimmed, quite a lot, and it wasn't because of excersise - _his scowl deepened_.

"Auntie Inko." He stated, turning back to watch the sleeping beauty. He mostly ignored the older woman's presence, but today it seemed like she had something to say, if it her twiddling fingers were anything to go by.

"Katsuki... thank you for coming to see my little Izu so often, you have no idea how much it means to her." She stated. His eyebrows rose as he scoffed to himself, wondering where she was going with this. "You know... your about the only thing she ever talks about, well, other than All Might!" She quietly laughs to herself as she reached for Izuku's hand. "Whenever I walk into this room after a day of work, and there hasn't been anyone to visit her, she just isn't the same. Her eyes lose the spark that they normally do, and she stares off into the outside world." Her hand begins to grip slightly, as something begins to well up in her eyes. Before she could continue, Katsuki interrupts.

"Hah. I know. After all, we're the only people she can talk to, and the only people she can vent to. It'd fucking suck, but despite that she still stays strong, even if it's just for the peace of mind for those around her." Something both he, Inko, and anyone who had known Izuku before agreed with, was that she was an amazing person. Abruptly he stands up, grabbing his bag and hooking it over his shoulder.

"You don't need to thank me, actually, just stop thanking me. If I'd been doing this for thanks..." He begins, looking back towards the sleeping Izuku, a soft glow emanating around her body as the afternoon light seeps in. "I would've been able to save her with a smile on her face." He ends, leaving the hospital. He breathed out a breath of frigid air and the scowl placed itself back on his face.

Katsuki realised it was cold outside.

He hated it, just like he did himself.


	3. Chapter 3 - Conflicting

Katsuki walked through the streets, bag slung over his shoulder as he angrily stomped his feet. It'd been a shit day for him, all of the damn extra's had been especially annoying, and all that served to do was sour his mood.

It didn't help that one of the damn idiots got caught by some freaky slime villain.

Katsuki angrily blasted at the sludge, aiming at the corners as a way to not hit 'the extra', yet no matter how much force he mustered, he couldn't break through the pesky sludge. Suffice to say his attempts hadn't gone well in the slightest, and in the end he'd backed himself into a corner.

"Shit..." He cursed to himself as he evaded the sludge villains attempts at grabbing him, and struggled while evading its attacks. Its body whipped out and attempted to latch onto him. In a desperate move he blasted himself upwards, flying over the sludge villain and reaching its blind spot.

He reached out, and a final blast emanated from his palms as he rocketed backwards, slamming himself into the wall. 'Shit!' He cursed mentally as he smacked into the wall. He'd forgotten to aim at the sides when he blasted the villain. When the smoke cleared, there showed to be no damage to either the villain or the boy, much to Katsuki's frustration (and relief, he didn't want someone hurt under his watch).

This relief was short-lived, however, as for the first time, Katsuki felt hopeless - with strength he believed he could achieve anything, yet now he was hopeless. The villain slowly moved towards Katsuki, looming a couple of meters in front of him. It reared a tentacle of slime back, but had a moment of thought as it began to speak.

"You know, kid..." The villain began. "You and me. We're alike." Katsuki scoffed at the mere thought of being similar to a villain. "We both have superior quirks, something that puts us above the rabble of society. We're the top dogs! It's too bad that I'm gonna have to kill you for seeing me, I feel like we could've been allies, fighting off the weak and useless parts of society. The _quirkless_." The villain sneered out its words, and his words made something _click _inside of his mind.

Katsuki felt a pit form within his stomach, and his mind flashed to the past. The past where _he _thought like that. Where _he_ was the top dog. And Katsuki realised, he _was_ similar to the villain, and it made his blood churn in anger. The pit inside of him widened, and he thought back to the reason that he wanted to become a hero.

He remembered the first time that he met Izuku.

The first time they played together.

The first time they played heroes.

The time she came to help him.

When he began to hate her.

When he made fun of her.

When he pushed her down.

When she fell, and never got back up.

The pit from within him suddenly surged forth in a raging tide of thunder and lightning.

"ARGHHHH!" He shouted in a flash of guttural rage, and his body seemed to flash out of sight as he blasted himself off of the ground towards the sludge villain. His fists clenched as he reared his arms back, and an indignant cry of rage screeched from the deep confines of his mind.

His arm reached forward as time slowed to a crawl. In those few moments, a man appeared from the other end of the tunnel, but despite this, his mind was rushing with fury and anger.

All Might came barreling down the tunnel and shouted his signature phrase "Have no fear! Why? Because _I_ am here!" As it was shouted, a large gust of wind blew past the villain and Katsuki. One blast knocked the villain into the wall, flattening it, and knocking it unconscious. The other, holding Katsuki's arm in place as the impact from his explosion was negated.

Katsuki snarled in rage as he struggled from the grip, however he slowly calmed down as he realised just _who _had stopped him. Time flew by a mile a minute as Katsuki's thoughts ran rampant, watching the pro bottle up the villain, wake up the extra, and see him off.

Just as All Might was about to leave, Katsuki realised something.

"She still hasn't got one yet..." An All Might signature, he meant. Izuku had not gotten one despite her downright obsessive adoration for the hero, and this provided the perfect opportunity for one.

Katuski approached the hero, unaware of the faint steam rising off of his feet.

"Oi, All Might, give me your autograph." He stated. Today's events had only further amplified his shitty mood, and he wasn't planning on being polite any time soon. All Might's eyes rose in surprise, before nodding cheerily - he took the insulting speech with great stride, obviously well-practiced. His eyes trailed to the name on the bottom of the book, "Izuku Midoriya", and he wondered if that was the boys' name.

"Interested in becoming a hero young man?" He asked, a worried look in his eye as his gaze drifted towards his watch.

"Yeah. I'm gonna climb to the top and become the next number one." He stated, his sharp eyes staring into All Might's. All Might was impressed. Katsuki had a fire in his eyes that he'd not seen in many before. He pondered on something for a moment, leaving Katsuki to stare impatiently, before he continued.

"I look forward to it!" Of all things, Katsuki had not expected the number one to say something like that. "I must be off, as I have other matters to attend to. I look forward to seeing you at U.A!" He finished with a great flourish as he leapt from the street into the brilliant sky. Katsuki stood, dazed for but a moment as his mind registered the odd sentence.

"At U.A... Why would he see me there. Unless...?" He thought for a moment, but pushed it to the back of his mind as he stared at the book in his hand. For an inconceivably brief moment, a fraction of a smile had appeared on Katsuki's face. It disappeared moments later, and the usual scowl returned to his face.

His mind recalled the villains words, and Katsuki resolved to thoroughly destroy the memories of the villain.

A chilly breeze swept over his skin, not too cold, but not too warm either.

Katsuki had an alright day, seeing Izuku's bright smile only made it better.

* * *

AN: I don't know why, but something about this chapter felt _weird_, if that makes any sense? Either way, I enjoyed writing the conflicting emotions that Katsuki got over the words from the sludge villain. I had the idea randomly as I was writing the chapter, that the villain related to how Katsuki was in the past, and how that might've shaken him up. I might add some lasting effects of the villains words throughout the chapters.

I hope I didn't make it too confusing to read, or incomprehensible.

Regardless, thank you for reading! :]


	4. Chapter 4 - To be a Hero

Katsuki stomped his way into the large school building, the usual deep frown marring his face. He easily found his way to his new classroom '1A' and slammed the door open. He raised an eyebrow at the lack of people, only two others had arrived before he did (considering what time he _did _arrive, it was no surprise).

Classes start at 8:50. He and the other two were there at 7:40. Ignoring the twos' presences, he sat down and brought out his phone as well as a notebook titled 'Hero Analysis #14'. Pulling up a video of a hero fight, he began to write down notes on the hero: their quirk, potential weakness, strength, popularity, skill, creativity, personality, ways to improve, and their overall rating as a hero. He even drew a little sketch on the side of every page, detailing the features of the costume and the certain practical capabilities it possessed.

It was a usual process for him. At first he was endlessly frustrated at getting certain details wrong (pointed out by Izuku) and having to re-analyse it. Eventually he could do it consistently, and soon enough it became a habit that helped him calm down.

Time passed by like this as the rest of the class slowly trickled in, but Katsuki didn't care, he was only waiting for the teacher. Once the teacher did arrive he was...

Unimpressed. Oddly enough, he recognised the man from somewhere, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Focus..." He whispered to himself as the teacher - Aizawa - began to speak, a clear and commanding tone that almost demanded the attention of whoever was listening.

He'd sparked Katsuki's interest.

That only amplified further when they went to do a 'test' of sorts, only further heightening his intrigue in the man. At one point he used his quirk on a short student who was throwing balls at people, and that's when it clicked.

"Ah... Erasurehead." He stated out loud, clicking his fingers together and garnering the attention of the other students. They looked at him expectantly, almost looking for an explanation. "Tch, extra's. He's an underground pro, one of the best at infiltration and quirk detainment." He stated, his naturally sharp eyes landing on each and every student.

Aizawa proceeded to state that whoever got last would be kicked out, and Katsuki's blood began to boil in determination.

He would blow this test out of the park.

* * *

Aizawa was a logical man. He based everything and anything off of his observations and previously established knowledge. So when he saw the eyes of the angry blonde - Bakugo Katsuki - his usual bored expression lifted, a terrifying grin encompassed his face.

'That determination. Let's see if he can back up that bark with some bite.' He thought, calling Katsuki up to the pitch of the ball throw test. His expression widened as a sort of energy emitted from the boy, his interest in the kid increased immensely.

That terrifying grin became increasingly more fierce as the air rippled around Katsuki's swinging arm. Time slowed as Aizawa observed the minute actions of the boy. Katsuki ignited the nitroglycerin on the back of his hand as a large dust cloud began to form, and despite the intense speed at which his arm flew, he was able to launch the ball at the apex of his throwing arc.

*BOOM*

The whole field shook, and the students' eyes bugged out at the score that appeared on the meter.

934.72m.

'Potential.' It was all Aizawa saw in the boy, and a new question popped up within his mind. 'What drove the boy to be so strong?' It was something that people generally looked over, however motivation is one of the most important aspects of becoming a hero.

The 'why' is always more important than the 'how'.

A gut feeling told Aizawa that he wouldn't be happy with the result, yet the clear demonstration of fierce determination made him wonder how he would mold Katsuki into a brilliant hero.

Aizawa's day just got a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

1st: Momo Yaoyorozu

2nd: Bakugo Katsuki

3rd: Todoroki Shoto

/-

/-

* * *

"Shit...!" Katsuki cursed. His fists clenched as a sudden impulse to, well, _explode_, came over him. His thoughts flashed back to his encounter with his first villain - 'I'm not good enough!' He shouted internally.

It seemed no matter what he did, the memory of that villain haunted him, and every time he blew the thoughts away, they slowly reemerged as if to torture him. Like a leech sucking the blood out of a human body.

He stood still, deep within his thoughts.

Aizawa noticed the clear frustration in the boy. It only made him want to find out his goals even more. Something he'd always want to have as a teacher is the past of his students, and while yes, they are entitled to their privacy, it is something that he inevitably uses to advance them all as heroes. All of the other students had already went back to the classroom, with Katsuki and Aizawa still standing alone in the fields. He approached Katsuki, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"There's always room for improvement. This is just the base-line, the start of your journey - the start of _your _hero academia." Aizawa stated, releasing his hand from the boys' shoulder and heading into the school building. "Don't beat yourself up for not getting the highest score - scores aren't what make a person a hero." Behind him, Katsuki's head jolted upwards in surprise, the words seeming to resonate with him.

Katsuki felt that he would end up liking his teacher much more than he thought he would.

"Tch...!" Katsuki clicked his tongue as he slapped his face with his hands. "Bastards' right, this is just the start!" He shouted to himself, stomping his way into the school building.

School wasn't bad for Katsuki, he ended up learning a lot, and it was only the start of his improvement as a hero. The gnawing at the back of his mind telling him he _just couldn't do it _became quiet.

The day was nice up to that point.

* * *

Katsuki arrived at the hospital, hoping to tell Izuku about his day at U.A, and give her something to think about for a while. He'd learned a lot about being a hero from his homeroom teacher, and he wanted to share that knowledge with Izuku. Unfortunately, when he arrived at the room and entered, Izuku was asleep in her bed, jostling around.

She was having a nightmare.

Katsuki ran over to her side in a hurry, clear panic on his face.

"Oi! Izuku, wake up!" He shouted to her shaking form. The girl was rolling around in her bed, creating a mess, and nearly pulling out the hospital equipment keeping her condition stable.

"Help! Help...!" The girl began to cry out for help in her sleep as tears formed around her eyes. Katsuki gripped onto her shoulders, shaking her slightly in vain attempts to wake her up.

"C'mon Izuku, it's just a dream, wake up!" He shouted. He pulled the girl up and pulled her into a hug, her shaking began to slow down into a shiver as her turns slowed down. Eventually, she just stopped, and so Katsuki let her down, stroking her hair back as he laid her back down onto the bed.

"Since when has she been having nightmares..." He muttered to himself. "Shit... should I ask her what she was dreaming about?" He pondered, reaching into his bag and pulling out his phone, earphones, and a notebook and pen. He began to write some more into Notebook #14, spending the rest of his time in the day with the sleeping Izuku.

The day started off sunny and warm, eventually shifting to an almost chilling cold in the afternoon.

Katsuki wasn't sure how to feel about today.

* * *

AN: Hello again! Man, I really love Aizawa, he's such a cool character! I thought this chapter was pretty nice for Katsuki tbh, well, except the ending.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! :]


	5. Chapter 5 - Brief Respite

Kirshima wasn't afraid or fearful of Katsuki like most others. He himself didn't understand why, but for some odd reason, he saw the good in Katsuki - a person with a heart of gold (and a mouth full of charcoal).

"Yo, Bakugo!" Kirishima called out, jogging over with his bag hanging on his back. "Wanna head home together?" He asked, hopeful. Katsuki turned around and scoffed at him, a scowl on his face like usual.

"Fuck off shitty-hair. I'm not going home yet." He stated, walking off on his own. Kirishima looked surprised and ran to catch up.

"Well, where are you going then? I'll go with you!" He said with a smile, he _really _wanted to be friends with Katsuki. He could feel it in his gut that he was a good guy, he just needed to get him out of his shell.

Katsuki spun around once more and glared at him.

"I said. Fuck. Off. Don't follow me, or I'll kill you." He declared, walking off even further ahead, leaving Kirishima in a confused daze. He stood there for a moment, pondering what Katsuki said.

"... I don't know why, but his eyes... they looked, dead? No, that doesn't sound right. Empty? Ugh, that doesn't sound right either..." Kirishima whined, sticking a hand into his sharp spiky hair as he sighed. "What could be bothering a guy like him?" He thought, beginning his walk home.

'Maybe hurt?'

* * *

"Are you feeling better now, Izuku?" Katsuki asked, his face scrunched as the girl before him attempted to assuage his worries.

"Mhmm... it wasn't... anything bad... I promise..." Izuku drawled. The answer only further fueled Katsuki's anger.

"C'mon Izuku! Why won't you just tell me!?" He almost shouted. He soon became dumbfounded as Izuku only smiled in response - most likely too tired to speak anymore. Katsuki breathed an angry sigh, slumping onto his chair and reaching into his bag. "Here." He stated, pulling out a finished 'Hero Analysis #14'.

Izuku's face lit up, and even though he left unsatisfied, he was still happy to see her smile.

He vowed to himself that he would figure out what was bothering, no matter what.

* * *

As Katsuki left, Izuku turned to stare at the blank ceiling. Her mind traced itself back to his initial questions, and she thought of many different answers to give him, but in the end, she couldn't say anything.

A couple of doctors walked past, and Izuku could just barely overhear them.

_Useless, weak, a waste of space - why is she even here? She'll die anyway, she's just taking up space! _She'd hear it frequently, and it often left her feeling like she had to make up for it.

But she couldn't do anything about it.

'Useless...' She thought to herself near everyday, and the only thing that kept her bound to life was her family and friend. She'd often think about it - leaving the world, it was such a tempting offer, it almost seemed like a dream whenever she'd witness something sharp or pointed.

She regretted the thoughts right as they appeared, yet something today had made her linger on the thoughts.

'Maybe... I really am... just -

\- _a__ waste of space...'_ Today she was feeling the worst she'd felt in a while, as it seemed her sickness had ate away at her a lot more than usual. Some doctors came in and upped the dosage of her medicine for a short while - until the phase ended, but it never _actually _ended.

She just got better at hiding it.

Unfortunately, nightmares persisted throughout the night. And last nights nightmare was the worst yet.

_Katsuki was... happy. Inko was happy. Everyone was happy - but something from the picture was missing. 'Where am I? What's going on!?'_

_"You're dead." A disembodied voice said, echoing around her as she spun around, looking for the source._

_"W-What? What do you mean!?" She'd shouted, but the only response she got was an arrow pointing to the figures seen through the glass-like wall. They both held a picture, one that was faint and worn out, likely forgotten or misused. Both figures of Katsuki and Inko threw the worn and torn picture behind them, walking forward into a blinding light that Izuku couldn't possibly reach._

_Her eyes widened as she saw the pictures of her with Katsuki and Inko began to vanish in a flicker of flames._

_"W-Wait! Don't go, please!" She shouted, dashing towards the light, arm outstretched in a feeble attempt to catch them. "Please, save me! Don't leave me...!" She cried out as a barrier pushed her back, refusing to let her reach the ones she needed most._

_"Please... help me..." She muttered as she felt to the ground, the two peoples' forms disappearing within the bright light. "Help... me..." She repeated like a broken record, and then suddenly her voice caught in her throat as she began to choke._

_She fell on to her side, clutching her throat._

_"A-Ah...!" She cried even more as she felt her breath leave her, and the disembodied voice from earlier re-appeared._

_"It is hopeless... you are destined to be forgotten and left behind. Your death is predetermined, you shall succumb to it - and you will never receive help from your 'so-called' heroes." The voice spat, and Izuku could feel the beings gaze land upon her choking form.  
_

_"N-No... please... K-Kacchan..." She let out her last breaths as her eyesight began to fade to black. "Help... me..."_

_Izuku Midoriya had died._

*Knock knock*

A soft knock brought Izuku out of her depressed thoughts, and for some reason she could muster the strength to speak.

"Come... in..." She said weakly, waiting for the door to open and reveal the person on the other side. The door opened with a soft creak, and her eyes fluttered in confusion as a person she had never seen before appeared. Her interest was caught when she saw the bright, flame-like hair that spiked upwards, and piercing red eyes that could only be matched by Katsuki.

His eyes were kind.

"A-Ah, sorry for the intrusion...!" The boy rubbed the back of his head nervously, causing Izuku to smile - the gesture was amusing, and it brought a pleasant distraction from her thoughts.

"Don't... worry about... it... who... are... you?" She struggled, watching as the boy stepped forward cautiously.

"Oh, sorry! My name is Kirishima Eijirou!" He exclaimed happily, a brilliant smile on his face. "I'm a friend of Bakugo!" He exclaimed casually, as if it were something easy to accomplish.

"His... friend?" Izuku questioned, staring at the boy as he sat down. "Ah... I think... he... told me... about... you." She muttered, recalling Katsuki cursing about a red-haired boy he nicknamed 'Shitty-hair'.

Kirishima nodded, scratching the back of his head.

"Yep! Man, I'm surprised he even talked about me." He said, an awkward silence taking over the two as they both thought of something to say. Kirishima was the first to speak up.

"So... how do you know Bakugo?" And their conversation picked up (as much as it could with Izuku's tired drawl) about how they both met Katsuki, and how much they thought he was an amazing person. They both held a distinct admiration for the kind of person he was, and when Kirishima had heard of the kind acts Katsuki had committed, he knew his decision was right.

He knew that Katsuki was a good person.

Izuku had a good day, and the nightmares didn't plague her that night. She hadn't gotten to talk to someone new for a long time, and it was... tiring, just like everything else she did.

Who knew a change of pace was all she needed? Suffice to say Kirishima got blown up by Katsuki when he came back to the hospital room.

The day started off cold, yet slowly transitioned into warmth.

* * *

An: O-kay. This one was pretty fun to write, although at the same time, I didn't mean to have someone from U.A find out about Izuku yet. Honestly, I thought it'd be right for Kirishima to be the first to find out, and now his curiosity had been sated - and Izuku has a new friend!

I hope I didn't screw up Izuku's thoughts, I haven't experienced something like that myself, so I can't say that I've wrote it correctly.

And don't worry about this odd POV(? Sort of, the POV's kinda all over the place) switch, the story's main character is Bakugo, but this time I wanted to switch it up a bit and reveal more of Izuku's feelings. I'm not sure if I wrote it well enough to produce a satisfying result, but I'll let you guys be the judge of that.

Also, what is with the weather? What is it, Melbourne or something!?

Thanks for reading! :]

**Benji the Monocat**: I know, right!? I've been thinking about it for a while, but I could never find anything that really satisfied the sick-Izuku idea (for me, at least). In the end I just decided to take a crack at it.


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